Fredonia: Safety starts with slowing

March 1, 2012

Area and village of Fredonia motorists received another unfortunate reminder regarding driving with caution.

Last week. a village resident was struck by a vehicle crossing at West Main Street near Center Street. While the speed limit for the stretch of road is 30 mph, slowing down in downtown needs to become a reality for all drivers.

"This (event) caused me to think about all the times cars have not slowed down for me when I am crossing Main Street in one of the crosswalks. It is my general observation that many cars traveling Route 20 in Fredonia do not bother to slow down for pedestrians, but that in Westfield, they do," wrote Jefferson Westwood in a letter to the board after the accident. " I would like to think that I live in a 'safe village' but at the moment, it is my opinion that Westfield has us beat when it comes to drivers obeying the yield to pedestrians in crosswalks law."

Those signs were tried in Fredonia before - and many were battered and bruised by cars and trucks - on that stretch of Main Street.

But area drivers should not need signs. Those who drive that stretch of road also cross that stretch of road. They are village residents.

Please slow down when driving downtown - and allow pedestrians the right of way. Fredonia is a "safe village." We can all do our part as motorists to make it - and all of our area streets - safer.